|
My previous car was a Mondeo, bought at 4 years of age and I kept it for six years. In that time I never had to replace a single light bulb. Is there anyone on here who can claim a longer "bulb replacement free" timespan on a car they have owned?
|
Our 1.9D Punto went to 7 years before a front sidelight bulb went, followed by a headlight bulb a month or so later. Only 50,000 miles though.
The Multijet is 3yrs 10 months - no bulbs.
|
|
My Mondeo is 7.5 years old. It has 170k on it. It has had both dipped beam bulbs replaced once each. All the rest are original. In fact those are the only items which have failed on it ever so far..........
|
Mazda Xedos 11 yrs - I have had it 10 years - 1 x reversing light(dog to replace) & 1 x side light.
In teh same time frame I had a Honda Civic - every 2 mths either the brake light or the tail light would fail - rest of the car was perfect - it just blew bulbs at the rear!
|
|
|
I suspect (but do not have proof) that diesel engined cars light bulbs will last longer as the voltage on the battery / alternator is more constant.
If the voltage is constantly fluctuating then the bulb life will be lower.
Example, Just after starting the engine on my old Vauxhall Astra 1.6l, the light from the bulbs was quite dim but brightened up after 5 - 10 seconds as the voltage across the battery rose from 11volts to 14.4 volts.
Prior to getting rid of the car I had to replace the drivers side front head light bulb three times last winter and there was no leak in the head light cluster.
Another example was a Ford Escort 1.6l (terrible thing).
Rough idle when warm or cold and was always eating rear bulbs.
Diesel cars tend to have a more constant voltage (as the alternator is higher power thus charges the battery quicker)
|
|
I had my MK1 Focus 1.6 from nearly new, to 8 years old and 95000 miles. In that time not one bulb anywhere blew.
|
|
|
I suspect (but do not have proof) that diesel engined cars light bulbs will last longer as the voltage on the battery / alternator is more constant. If the voltage is constantly fluctuating then the bulb life will be lower.
I have found the complete opposite to be true. I had a FIAT Coupe I covered almost 100,000 miles in less than four years and had to replace the offside dipped headlight bulb once.
I then had a Peugeot 206 petrol in which I covered about 50,000 miles in less than three years again one front offside bulb required replacement.
I now have a Volvo S60 diesel which has covered 22,000 miles in the last three years. It is on its fourth SET of dipped headlight bulbs.
All three cars were driven with dipped headlight bulbs on pretty much constantly the only difference being the petrol engined cars I switched the lights on after starting the engine, the Volvo DRL's came on as soon as the ignition went to position 2 so were on while the engine was turning over.
I have since had them disabled so I can switch them on after startup.
|
|
|
|
|
My Mondeo is nearly 12 years old and at 162k miles, I have only replaced one (a dip-headlamp) bulb. Virtually everything else has failed, though!
|
Oh heck Waino, you have just made me feel like I'm driving a time bomb. In fairness though, I guess it would be due some sick leave before long ! It's never missed a days work in its life yet.......
;-)
|
I wouldn't worry about this too much, Humph, my remark was a bit of an overstatement! I've had the old beast ('97 R Ghia estate) since it was born. It was my company car, then I bought it and have been driving it ever since - approaching 12 years now. Referring to another current thread, I don't have a desire to keep changing things if they are working - I've still got my old Triumph T21, my old Telecaster and my old missus!
It has had a couple of majors - an ABS control unit at about 80k, the HG at about 145k, broken front springs, replacement bushes and a number of niggling little things - no display on radio, heated mirror packed up, remote locking packed up etc. But it is still driveable and gets worked pretty hard on the backroads and farm tracks of East Anglia. It is still on its original clutch.
I'm told that it wil need more welding on the rear wheel arches for next June's moT, so this will probably be its final year.
Despite the fact that I have almost completed 6 decades, it is the first and only car that I have ever actually 'owned'.
|
|
|
|
|
_COLON_no_upscale()/cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/fallback/coming-soon.jpg)
